Porsche Phases Out Diesels

Porsche AG, citing shrinking demand, says it will phase out diesels as it shifts to electrified powertrain options.

“We have come to the conclusion that we would like our future to be diesel-free,” says CEO Oliver Blume.

Blume points out that diesels have always played a minor role in Porsche sales and accounted for only 12% of its global volume last year. The company also has committed to spend more than €6 billion ($7 billion) by 2022 on increasingly popular electrified powertrains.

Porsche insists its move is not a condemnation of diesels. But the company has been tarnished by parent Volkswagen AG’s diesel cheating scandal. Porsche’s diesels are supplied by VW’s Audi unit, whose engines have been found to use illegal software to evade emission standards.